vastandlik

Vastandlik is an Estonian adjective meaning "opposite," "contradictory," or "contrasting." It is formed from the noun vastand ("opposite") with the adjectival suffix -lik, and it denotes a relationship of opposition or difference between ideas, qualities, directions, forces, or positions.

In use, vastandlik can describe viewpoints, properties, or situations that are in conflict or present a clear contrast. It appears both attributively (vastandlik seisukoht — an opposing position) and predicatively (nende arvamused on vastandlikud — their opinions are opposite). As with other Estonian adjectives, it inflects for case and number to agree syntactically with the noun it modifies.

The term is used across everyday language, academic writing, and formal discourse to characterize contradictions, polarities, or mutually exclusive options. Nuance ranges from mild contrast to direct contradiction; context determines whether vastandlik implies mere difference or logical incompatibility.

Related words include vastand (opposite), vastandama (to contrast), and vastandlikkus (oppositeness). Approximate translations into English are opposing, contrary, or contradictory; comparable words in other Finnic languages convey similar senses of opposition. Antonyms include terms meaning similar or aligned, such as sarnane (similar) or kooskõlaline (harmonious).